I have been a fan of HP fanfiction since early 2005. That summer I discovered Bambu's fabulous "Guard... Check... Mate" here at TPP and realized that there were actually people out there who agreed with me that Dumbledore was NOT an inherently positive figure, that Dumbledore was manipulative and in many cases just as disrespectful of human life as Voldemort. I'd not thought of pairing Hermione and Severus, but suddenly it seemed so obvious!

Summary: After losing his best friend during the Battle at Hogwarts, Gregory Goyle must accept punishment for his actions. When he is befriended by a surprising person, he learns that life travels many paths, and sometimes friendship is the only guide. One-shot, Friendship, DH/Epilogue Compliant.